We all have some sort of relationship with a to-do list. Whether we’re a lover or a hater, or somewhere in between. I have met many people who just couldn’t imagine a day without making a list as their first priority every morning, who loves a post-it note or two, and sometimes can be almost addicted to the thrill of a completed list at the end of the day. There are also some who are more of the spontaneous and impulsive no-list kind, or just someone who don’t like to make lists but are all for a good schedule.
Anyways, this is not a blog post from me trying to convince you of how good or bad, necessary or unnecessary I think a to-do list is. The other day I was listening to a podcast when at the end of an episode as a little addendum one of the podcasters said she had started making a ta-da list. My ears pricked up. She said that she can so easily focus on the negatives and she had been encouraged to make a list of things she did that when she looked at it, it would help put her in a better mood.
In my job for LMI we often talk about the importance of keeping a score of our progresses and our victories. I have seen the huge impact this can have on peoples motivation and staying-on track power, as well as just making us feel good. Famously it’s been said that a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. Often we focus on the I didn’t make it, or the I am so far off my target, that we forget to see the mile we covered today as a success. It is probably not a surprise to you then, that I love the idea of a TA-DA list. A list, not of things I have to do, but of the ‘I did that!’
Try it – start a Ta-Da list of your own – I am loving mine!
Silje Howes 